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Patented Mar. 24, 1.896.

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A. H. ENGSTRM. APPARATUS PQR RBGBNERATING EXHAUST STBM.v

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A. H. ENGSTRM. APPARATUS TOR REGBNERATTNG EXHAUST STEAM.

No. 556,964. lltented Mar. 24, 1896.

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AXEL Il. ENGSTRM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO GEORGE S. GANDY, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR REGENERATING EXHAUST-STEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,964, dated March 24, 1896.

Application filed November 27, 1895. Serial No. 570,297. (lio model.)

To LZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AXEL H. ENGSTEM, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, but now residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Regenerating Exhaust-Steam, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

.lly invention. has relation to apparatus for revivifying or regenerating exhaust or lowpressure steam of the type wherein the exhaust or low-pressure steam is first heated by live steam, mixed and compressed by said live steam, whereby the heat units ot the exhaust or low-pressure steam are preserved and utilized and said exhaust or low-pressure steam is increased both in pressure and temperature for use again in the cylinders of the engine, and in such connection it relates particularly to the construction and arrangement of such an apparatus.

The principal objects of my invention are, first, to provide a regenerator of simple construction adapted to receive both live and exhaust or low-pressure steam, and to first heat the exhaust or low-pressure steam by means of the live or high-pressure steam, then compress the heated exhaust by means of the hot steam and simultaneously mix with the heated and compressed exhaust or low pressure steam the live steam; second, to provide a regenerator consisting of a easing divided into three chambers, the exhaust-steam entering the external and internal chambers and surrounding the intermediate chamber into which live steam is admitted, whereby the exhaust-steam is heated by said live steam, the exhaust-steam being drawn out of its chambers by the live steam and escaping in compressed form from the contracted outlets of the chambers, the outlet of the intermediate live-steam chamber being contracted and -formed adjacent to the outlets of the two exhaust-steam chambers; third, to provide .in such regenerator a valve controlling the ontlet ot' the live-steam chamber; and, fourth, to provide a regenerating apparatus consisting of aseries of regenerators connected together, each of which is adapted, when required, to be cut out or cut into the series, whereby the efficiency of the apparatus may be readily and quickly decreased or increased.

My invention consists of an apparatus for revivifying or regenerating' exhaust or lowv pressure steam, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinafter described and claimed; and my invention further consists of the regenerator constructed and arranged substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in which- Figure l is a longitudinal centra-l section of the regenerator embodying the main features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line a' ai of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similar section taken on the line y fy of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view, partly sectioned, showing the connections between the exhaust, the primary and secondary boilers, and a series of regenerators, and illustrating the method of cutting out or in one or more,

of said regenerators; and Fig. 5 is a similar View, enlarged, illustrating in detail the method of connecting up the regenerators.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the regenerator, consisting of a casing or shell a, having an inlet a forexhaust-steam, an. inlet a2 for live steam, and an outlet a for the revivied exhaust-steam. Within the casing a, and preferably below the inlet d' of the exhaust, is placed a tubular nozzle b, connected with the live-steam inlet a2, and having an expanding outlet b. W'ithin this tubular nozzle l), and havingarange of movement through a stuing-box b2, at one end thereof, is a tubular or hollow stem d, carried by the spindle d', threaded in the end of the easing a, and passing through a stuffing-box a3 thereof; This spindle d and the hollow stem (Z may be advanced or retracted in the nozzle l), by means of the hand-wheel d2, as illustrated in detail in Fig. l. A portion of the stem d extends outside of and to the right of the tubular nozzle b, into the 'chamber e, formed in the casing or shell a, and the interior of said stem d is in communication with said chamber e, through the opening or ICO exterior taper b5 of the nozzle-outlet h'.

panded outlet b of the nozzle 'b terminates, is

contracted into van abrupt shoulder f, and then tapered gradually, as at f and iinally slightly enlarged into a bulbous form as at f2, just before the contracted outlet a5. There is thus formed within the casing a three chambers, the chamber e, in which the exhaust irst enters, the chamber e' of tapering form, and the chamber e2 of bulbous or enlarged form. The

outlet g from the chamber e into the chamber e is contracted by reason of the formation of the abrupt shoulder f at that pointand of the The nozzle-outlet fb is of expanding Yannular form by reason of the formation of an external shoulder d4 atk the outlet of the stem d and the internally-tapered Wall of the outlet bfof the nozzle. A contracted 4expanding outlet d5 is for-med on the stem d by means of the internal taper at the end of the stem d 'and the tapered reducing-piece 7L held in the casing by meansof the ribs h'. By screwing the hollow fstem CZ and spindle d towardfor away from this tapered reducing piece h the size of the outlet d5 is decreased or increased, thus regulating the amount of exhaust-steam escaping through the stem d int-o the chamber e,'and this movement of the stemd and spindle d correspondingly decreases and increases the outlet ZJ of the nozzle b as the shoulder d4 of the stem d approaches or recedes from the internal tapered wall of the outlet h.

The exhaust-steam enters the chamber c and a portion is discharged through the outlet g into the chamber e', while the remainder passes through the hollow stem d, entering the same through the openin gs d3. Vhile the exhaust-steam is in the chamber c and hollow stem d it is heated by the live steam in the nozzle b, forming an intermediate compartment of the chamber e, the stem d or internal compartment being blanketed by the live steam in the nozzle b, and the external compartment of the chamber e being heated by radiation from the exterior of the nozzle b.

The live steam, as it escapes through the outlet b into the chamber c', sucks the exhaust out of the stem d and chamber @through the contracted opening or outlet g. The exhaust and live steam are mixed in the chamber e and from thence forced into the expanding-chamber e2, at which point the live steam will compress the exhaust. During the compression of the exhaust a certain portion thereof will condense, and the laten-t heat givenoli during this condensation is absorbed by the exhaust-steam, whereby the temperature-of the exhaust is considerably increased.

The steam on leaving the outlet a5 of the regenerator will be under required pressure and will be raised to required temperature.

In Figs. Ll land 5 I have indicated diagrammatically a complete plant in which several of the regenerators are coupled up, so that they may act either successively or singly upon the exhaust-steam. Referring to said figures, B represents a primary boiler containing lor generating live or high-pressure steam. C represents a secondary boiler in which the revivified exhaust is accumulated for use in the engine cylinder or cylinders D. The boiler B and boiler C are connected by a pipe B, in which is placed an automatic regulator-valve B2, adapted to maintain a constant and uniform difference in pressure between the two boilers. From the boiler B leads a pipe B5 having suitable connections or branches B4, each controlled by a valve B5 leading to the inlets a2of the regenerators A. The exhaust from the engine-cylinders D is conducted by the pipe D to a separator Aand accumulator or reservoir D2, 4at the top of which is placed a relief-valve D5, adapted to open when the exhaust accumulates too rapidly and to permit the dischargeof a portion of the exhaust to the open air. From the separator and accumulator D2 a pipe D4 is led, supplying each regenerator with exhaust-steam by means of branch pipes D5, each of which leads to an inlet aof fa re'generator A. The outlet a3 of 'each regenerator A leads into a steam-separator E and the reviviiied exhaust, after the water of condensation is separated thereby, is led .by a pipe D6 to the main exhaust-supply D4.

Each branch pipe D5 4andeachpipe D( is provided with a regulating and cut-oft valve F and F", respectively, and the main exhaustv supply pipe D4 is also provided with similar valves D2, one of said valves being located between the branch pipe D5 and pipe D5, as indicatedin the drawings. The pipe D4 discharges into the secondary boiler C.

From the above-described arrangement it will be seen that the exhaust-steam from the cylinders D is led by pipes D' and D4 and branch pipes D5 into a succession of regenerators A, in which it is heated, compressed, and mixed with live steam. The exhaust, after it leaves the rst regenerator, is further treated in the next succeeding regenerator until final-ly the exhaust is raised to required temperature and pressure and passes into the boiler B.

lf for any reason one-or more of the regenerators A refuse to1operate,or the number of regenerators required is to be decreased, any one of said regenerators may be cut out by shutting olf the exhaust entering the .particular inlet a' from a branch pipe D5 by shutting off the live ysteam entering the inlet CL2 from the pipe B4 and by shutting off communication from the outlet a5 of said regenerator with the pipe D4. Thus, for instance, if

the middle regenerator of the three illustrated in Fig. 4: is to be cut out the valve Foi its branch pipe D5 is turned to close the supply of exhaust to said regenerator, the valve B5 IOO IIO

ot the pipe BVl is turned to shut oit the supply of live steam to said regenerator, and the valve F in the pipe D6 is turned to shut off communication of pipe D4 with the separator E. The supply of exhaust-steam to the successive regenerator A is regulated by the series of valves F2 in the pipe D4.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to sccurc by Letters Patent, is-

1. A regenerator for revivif ying exhaust or low-pressure steam consisting of a casing, the interior of which is provided with a chamber divided into three concentric compartments, an inlet for eziaust-steam into the external and internal compartments and an inlet for live steam into the intermediate compartment, said exhaust-compartments being provided with contracted outlets and said livesteam compartment being provided with an expanding outlet adjacent to the outlets of the exhaust-compartment, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A regenerator consisting of a casing provided With an inlet for exhaust-steam, an inlct tor live steam and an outlet for mixed exhaust and live steam, a tubular nozzle arranged in said casing connected with the livesteam inlet and provided With an expanding outlet, a hollow stem placed Within the nozzle in communication with the interior of the casing, a reducing-piece held in the casing and toi-ming at the end of the tubular stem a con# tracted cxpandin g Outlet, said hollow stem and space in the casing surrounding the tubular live-steam nozzle being in communication with the exhaust-steam inlet, all arranged so that the exhaust-steam chambers thus formed lie respectively around the exterior and Within the interior of said live-steam nozzle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A regenerator comprising a casing divided into three chambers in communication with each other, each provided with a contracted outlet, the first of said chambers being divided into three concentric compartments in the external and internal ot' which exhauststcam is led, While in the intermediate compartment live steam is led to heat the exhaust in the other compartments, the second chamber being of tapered and contracted form, the exhaust and live steam from the tirst chamber escaping therein through the contracted and expanded outlets and being mixed together in said second chamber, and the third chamber being of bulbous or enlarged form to constitute at its contracted outlet a compressionchamber for the mixed steam, substantially as and for the purposes described.

a. A rcgcnerator consisting of a casin g provided with an inlet for exhaust-steam, an inlet for live steam and an outlet for mixed exhaust and live steam, a tubular nozzle arranged in said casing connected with the livesteam inlet and provided With an expanding outlet, a hollouY stem placed Within the nozzle in communication With the interior of the casing, a reducing-piece held in the casing and forming at the end of the tubular stem a contracted expanding outlet, said hollow stem and space in the casing surrounding the tubular live-steamnozzle being in communication With the exhaust-steam inlet, all arranged so that the exhaust-steam chambers thus formed lie respectively around the exterior and Within the interior of said live-steam nozzle, a spindle carrying said stem and means for advancing and retracting said stem and spindle in the casing toward or away from said reducing-piece, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a system of regenerating exhauststeam from the cylinders of engines, a primary boiler containing high-pressure steam, a secondary boiler adapted to receive the revivified exhaust and to supply the same to the engines for reutilization, a series of regenerators having inlets in communication With the exhaust `from said cylinders and inlets for live steam from the primar Y boiler, said regenerators adapted to increase said exhaust in pressure the live steam, the outlet of each regenerator being connected With the exhaust-inlet of the next succeeding regenerator, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. The combination ot' the series of regenerators having live-steam and exhaust-steam inlets, a primaryboiler containing live steam, a pipe leading therefrom and branched to connect With the live-steam inlet of each regenerator, a pipe conveying exhaust from engines or other steam apparatus and branched to connect with the exhaust-inlet of each regenerator, a pipe leading from the outlet of the first regenerator to the exhaust-inlet of the next regenerator in the series, a secondary boiler connected with the outlet of the last regenerator in series and adapted to supply the engines with reviviiied exhaust-steam, and valves adapted to shut o the exhaust and live steam entering each regenerator,sub stantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

AXEL Il. ENGSTROM.

Witnesses J. WALTER DoUeLxss, THoMAs M. SMITH.

.and temperature and to mix the exhaust with IOO 

